Connected Minds
by Ruko-Sempai
Summary: "Open up your senses...Focus."
1. In Fate's Hands

Chapter 1: In Fate's Hands.

* * *

_I remember the exact day my life went strait to hell._

"Look at her..."

"So weird!"

"Does she know how to speak?"

"What's up with her?"

"Is she, like, mute, or something?"

Minna tried to block out the voices. She really did; her ear buds were placed firmly in her ear and her music was as loud as it could get. Ever since she was little, she could hear voices that no else could. Her parents had gotten her any help they could find; doctors, therapists, shrinks, everyone, but nothing worked. She tried to tell her teacher one day in the third grade, but he didn't beleive her. Another kid over heard and told everyone. When their parents found out, all the kids stop talking to her. Growing older, Mina decided to talk as little as possible so that she wouldn't accidently tell her secret. Other people talked about her, the kids her age teasing her, trying to get her to talk. They didn't know about the voices, but if they did, Mina's teasing would get far worse, and that wasn't something she wanted.

Minna was walking down the street to her house. She never left home without her earbuds and IPod. Mina was used to getting harrassed; other teens would tug on her dirty blonde hair and push her. Sometimes they would even try to steal her necklace, an angel with two garnet stones that hung on a silver chain. That's why she wore earbuds; she could ignore the people, just not the voices. The last time Mina was harrassed, she had gone home with several bruises. Mina turned off her IPod as she rounded the corner into an alley. This was the way she went to avoid the bullies. Mina sighed as she took of her red hoodie and tied it around her waist, revealing her light grey tank top. Her green cargo pants were a bit big on her, hanging loosely on her hips, and her red converse were slightly shreded. Mina pulled her tank top down. It was a little too small and tight, the fabric sticking to her, the bottom hem reaching just a few inches above her navel, which she had pierced two years ago, but it was all she had found this morning.

"What the hell?!"

Mina looked up; she was at the back of the alley. A boy, only a few years younger than herself, with spike orange hair, stood infront her, his shoulders tense. A pair of purple headphones rested on his head, matching his purple sleeveless top and white shorts. Mina leaned over a bit to see what the boy was looking at...

...And froze.

Infront of the boy stood another boy, with muted blonde hair. He wore a simple white button up and blue jeans. He also held a gun in his hand, and was pointing it at the orange haired boy. Mina had never been so close to a gun. She had seen one, of course, but only on T.V., never in real life. He mom had always scolded the use of fire arms. Mina took a step backwards; no one had seen her yet. As she did, she stepped on a cruppled peice of paper.

_Crunch!_

Mina stiffened. The boy with the gun looked at her,as the orange haired boy did. A gunshot ripped through the air, making Mina jump. She watched in horror as the orange haired boy fell to the ground, blood staining his clothes. Mina gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

"How nice."

Mina snapped her attention to the other boy, who held the gun at his side. She opened her mouth as she took another step back, trying to tell him that she wouldn't saying anything about it, but nothing came out. She looked at him, pleading with her eyes for him to let her go. _P-please, I-I won't tell! _The boy took a step forward. "Here I am," He smirked, "just about to go get you, and you show up." He raised the gun, aiming it at Mina's chest, "I don't have to search anymore." Mina's body shook in fear. Finally, a voice broke through her head, a voice she often heard when she was harrassed.

_Don't just stand there, idiot! Run!_

For once, Mina was glad she could hear voices.

Mina turned and darted down the alley, adrenalin pumping through her. Her mind raced as she heard footsteps following her. She couldn't go home, he would follow her there and hurt her mom. If she went to the main street, there would be too many people there for him to shoot her dead. Once she on the main street, she could go to the police station. Something nagged at her._ What did he mean by 'go to get me'? _Mina shook the thought away. She felt her hoodie slip off her waist and fall behind her. Mina stopped for a second, looking back at it, before she saw the boy walking a few feet from her. Mina turned and darted again, forgetting about the hoodie. Her legs burned with overuse, her lungs on fire. She had never run so fast in her life. Fear coursed through her entire body, making tears fall down her face. She didn't want to die.

Something caught her foot. Mina lost her balance and fell, tumbling to the ground. She landed on her hip, a sharp pain forming. Mina looked up at the boy, her chest heaving as she tired to get air in her lungs, who stood less than five feet from her now. Tears continued to pur down her face, her light blue eyes wide and terrified. The boy stared down at her, eyes blank. "Sorry," He said, raising the gun, "You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, miss." Mina crawled backwards, her hands groping the ground behind her as she moved, her eyes never leaving the boy. He chuckled slightly, "Oh, don't be afraid. Just relax and it won't hurt a bit." Mina felt her back hit the wall of the alley, and her fears doubled. He had her backed in a corner off the alley. There was no way she could run past him; he was too close. Mina heard the click of the gun and shut her eyes tight. It was all over now.

_Oh, God, I don't want to die!_

Pain tore through her chest and stomach, making her cry out. Mina felt herself lean over to the side until she hit the ground. Shouts echoed somewhere infront of her, several figures entering her blurring vision before every went black. Then, all she felt was numb.

* * *

_"In more recent news, a Shibuya resident found a teenaged boy, dead, in the back of the alley behind her house and called the police. According to the athorities, the boy was shot. Several gunshots, just seconds after police arrived, were heard further down the alley. Police investigators raced towards the source of the gunshots, only to find another teen laying on the ground. She died as the police neared her. The resident who first heard called the police immidiately reconized the girl as her daughter. Seventeen year old Tsukiyomi Minano was shot two times in the stomach and chest, dieing shortly after the second shot. The boy, fourteen year old Sakuraba Neku, was shot once in the chest, directly in the heart. He died within minutes of the impact._

_An investigation has been set up to find the person who killed these two innocent teens, and the police has started interigating anyone who spoke with or saw the victims in the last twenty-four hours."_

* * *

"Why'd ya bring her here?"

"Don't address the Composer in such a way, you fool!"

"Aw, don't be such a downer, princess!"

"Quiet, both of you. She waking."

Mina opened her eyes slightly before opening them all the way.

First, she saw a large, dark room. Slowly sitting up, she winced as pain ripped dully through her chest and stomach. Mina gasped, clutching her chest.

"Breathe slowly. It helps with the pain."

Mina's head snapped up, reconizing the voice. Sitting in a tall chair a few feet away, was the boy who had shot her. Mina's eyes widen in fear and she scooted back. "Haha, looks like you scared her to zetta death!" Mina snapped her attention to the source of the new voice, and saw an older teen, about a year older than her, laughing. He wore a red bandana under a black cap, a black jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and torn jeans. Mina saw a woman with long blonde hair frown at the older teen. She wore a glasses, a short black and white maid looking dress, long black socks, and white heels.

"Shut up, Sho. If anything, _you're _scaring her with your bad jokes," The boy said. He looked at Mina, a more kinder look in his eyes, "I'm Joshua. Sorry for Sho's behavior. This," He gestured toward the woman, who now stood next to the chair, "is Konishi." Joshua glanced around. "I'm not sure where Yodai is..." An older man, with long black hair wearing a black suit and red head phones, appeared on the other side of Joshua, "I saw him head down the hallway." The man turned to Mina. "My name is Megumi. Would you mind giving us your name?" Mina eyed them warily. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat, making her choke. Mina coughed, trying to get air.

"Hmm," Joshua said, "Looks like your price was you're voice." His voice sounded like he already knew that, and Mina looked up at him confused. Price? What price? Where was she? _I'm dead, aren't I? _Mina thought. As if sensing her question, Joshua explained, "Yes, Yes, that's right. As of now, you're like the rest the rest of us; dead. You see, you died in the RealGround, where live people are. Now, you're in the UnderGround. In order for you to be here, a price was paid. Your voice was payment."

Mina gritted her teeth. _That explains why I can't talk...But if I'm dead, why the hell am I here?! _Mina looked up at Joshua, angry. Sho smirked, "Better tell her why you brought here, before she blows your head off." Out of the corner of her eye, Mina saw Konishi sigh and mumble, "Insolent fool..." Joshua shot Sho a look before he continued, "It was convenient that you happened to be in that alley. You see, I know all about the voices you hear, Miss Mina. The ones that won't go away."

Mina's eyes widened. _B-but how...?_

"I've been keeping tabs on you, you see, for several years now. I was waiting until the voices were so loud you couldn't block them out anymore. And then, when that happened, I could use you're assistance," Joshua said, his word making Mina even more confused, "You may not realize it, Mina, but you have a very special gift, much like the other boy you saw. The only difference is, your gift surfaced much earlier." Joshua smiled. "I hope you enjoy helping me."

Joshua looked at Mina's clothes. They were bloodied and torn. "Mina, please follow Konishi to your room and change."

Mina slowly stood up. It sounded like she didn't have a choice. She followed Konishi out of the large room and down a long hallway. Finally, Konishi stopped and opened a door. Turning to Mina, she said, "Go." Mina flinched at her cold tone, but entered the room anyway.

It wasn't very big, but wasn't exactly small either. There were no windows, Mina noted. The walls were dark brown, like the bed. On the bed was a pair of black short-shorts, a white tank top, and some black fingerless gloves. "Those should fit you," Konishi said, "If not, you'll have to deal with it." Mina turned to her and bowed, remembering the manners her mom had taught her. Mina opened her mouth to say thank you, but choked. Remembering her price, she looked up at Konishi and mouthed, _Thank you very much. _Konishi crossed her arms, "Well, at least you have manners. Unlike that idiot..."

Mina assumed she was talking about Sho. Konishi turned around as Mina undressed. Mina frown as she slipped on the shorts. She didn't like wear shorts; her legs were really skinny. Sighing, she pulled off her tank top and changed into the white one. It's straps connected at the back of her neck, leaving her upper back exposed. Like her other tank top, this one ended inches from her navel. Mina reached for her necklace, but felt nothing. She paniced. _Where...?!_ Finally, Mina sighed, her shoulders slumping. She pulled on her red converse and the gloves, though she didn't know what she would be needing them for. Mina use the black hair bands on her wrist to tie the top layer of her hair into pigtails. The bottom layer of her hair fell to the middle of her back.

When she was done, she turned to Konishi who opened the door. Sho walked in, ignoring the look from Konishi. Walking up to Mina, he grinned, "Alright, kid, let's go. Boss wants you." He looked at her, "Lucky you, you get t be a Reaper!"

Mina didn't know what a Reaper was, but she was going to find out.

* * *

**Review, please.**


	2. Creeper Reaper

**Enjoy. :)**

* * *

Chapter 2: Creeper Reaper

Mina walked down the hallway with Sho, wondering what a Reaper was. Reaper, like the Grim Reaper? Mina shook her head; this was all too much. So, she was like, in Purgatory? How? And, why? All she did was hear voices; not move things with her mind or see the future.

"Hey, your name's Mina, right?"

Mina looked up at Sho and nodded. Sho grinned, "Cool name." He stretched his arms. "I feel bad for you, kid." Mina looked up at him in confusion. Seeing the look on her face, Sho continued, "You're stuck with Megumi for the rest of the day."

Now Mina was really confused. Sho had said that she was going to see the boss, right? Back when she had woken up, it seemed that Joshua was the boss. Mina reached over and tugged on Sho's sleeve to get his attention. When she had it, she mouthed the word 'Joshua?'. Sho laughed, "What, that twerp? Nah, he acts like he owns the place, but really he's just like you. Actually," Sho scratched his head, "I'm not sure exactly _what _that kid does. Anyway, the only one who's seen the boss man is Megumi."

Mina nodded in understanding; now, all she needed to know about was what a Reaper and the Game was. She would've asked, but remembered her voice problem and remained silent.

Mina was surprised when Sho lead her to a large room, bigger than the one she had woken up in. The man with black hair from before stood in the center, still wearing the black sunglasses, though Mina had no idea why; the room was dimly lit. Megumi turned to them as they approached. "About time," He said to Sho. Sho stretched his arms in annoyance. "Not my fault she's so zetta slow." Mina shifted uncomfortably. She hadn't ment to be slow, but Sho's fast pace was hard to keep up with. Megumi shook his head. "Whatever. Sho, you can go now."

WHen Sho left, he turned to Mina. Mina had felt more comfortable with Sho there with her, but now she was uneasy under Megumi's stare. "Mina, do you know what a Reaper is?" He asked. Mina shook her head.

"As you know, The Reaper's Game is a chance for those who have died in the Real Ground, who are Players, to be revived again." Mina blinked, confused. Megumi sighed and said, "In other words, it's a chance for them to be brought back to life." Mina's ears perked at this. _So, there's a chance...?_ Seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, Megumi added, "However, Reapers, one of which you will become, are not given this chance. Instead, our goal is to become an Angel. We can achieve this by gaining a certain amount of points. As a Reaper, we gain these points by erasing Players or creating clever challenges." Hearing this, Mina's eyes widened slightly.

_E-erasing Players? But that means..._

"Yes," Megumi said, noticing the change on Mina's face, "When a Reaper erases a Player, that Player's existence permanently disappears." Mina took a step forward and opened her mouth, trying to yell, but her throat closed, making her choke. Blinking back tears at the slight pain in her neck, Mina looked up at Megumi with angry eyes. _Why? Why do Reapers have to kill Players? They're already suffering! _

"Miss Mina, in case you hadn't heard earlier, Players are already dead. So, you wouldn't actually be killing them."

Mina turned to see Joshua walk in. Confusion spread over her face. _How did he...? _Joshua smiled, "It's easy to know what you're thinking; it's all over your face." Mina huffed at this comment and looked away. Her mother had always told her that she was an open book and that it didn't take a lot to guess what was on her mind. Mina thought of this as annoying; she would rather be the kind of person that could easily hide what they felt.

"Anyway," Megumi continued, "Mina, you will be considered as a second level Harrier Reaper. That means that you will be able to summon Noise in order to slow down Players, which will be your main objective. You'll still need to pick up points by erasing Players, however, and it's against the rules to directly attack a Player unless it's an emergency."

"There are three types of Reapers," Joshua added, "The lowest level ones are Support Reapers. The second lowest are the Harrier Reapers, and then the highest level, which are Officers. Sho, Konishi, Yodai, Megumi and myself are all Officers." Mina tilted her head, thinking. _Officers sound really important, but Sho said that Joshua was like me. So...does that mean he's the lowest rank? How many ranks are there? _She looked at Joshua and pointed at him. Joshua smiled again, "Don't listen to Sho; I have more power than you may think." Now Mina was really confused. How did he know what Sho had told her? "Now, there are four Officer ranks; Game Master, Conductor, Composer, and Producer." Joshua continued, ignoring the look on Mina's face. "Megumi here is the Conductor, Yodai is the Game Master, and so on. But that's enough of that; you came here to become a Reaper."

Megumi cleared his throat, "Normally, a Player has to play in the Reaper's Game in order to become a Reaper. However, because of your...situation, you'll go through a test. You have to survive one minute in a room filled with Noise, which is the residue of erased Players." And with that, both Joshua and Megumi turned and walked to the door. Mina's jaw dropped._ They're just gonna __**leave **__me here?! _She ran forward and grabbed Megumi's sleeve. Seeing the distressed look on her face, Megumi said, "You may fight or flee, just make sure you last one minute."

Mina watched as they walked out of the room. After a few minutes of waiting, with nothing happening, Mina finally crossed her arms and sat down on the floor. She huffed. _I should've known all of this was some kinda joke. I mean, really? How could I believe that I actually died and came here? This all a joke; I was knocked unconscious by some jerk teens and taken here so they can tell me a load of bull and watch me panic or something. _Mina looked up, _There's gotta be some kinda camera in here somewhere...Aha! _Seeing a small security camera attached to the wall, Mina glared at it before holding her middle finger up. Standing up, she walked towards the door. _Screw this, _She thought, _I'm going home._

* * *

"She doesn't believe that she's dead." Megumi said, watching the screen carefully. Joshua chuckled. "That's not a surprise; most don't." After a few minutes of sitting on the floor, Mina looked directly at the camera before flipping it off. Megumi blinked as Joshua laughed. "She seems mad, don't you think?" He retorted. Watching as she stood and walked to the door, Joshua said, "You'd better start believing, Mina."

* * *

Mina was half-way to the door when she heard a noise. Looking over her shoulder, she saw a strange-looking frog. Turning around, she tilted her head.

_A frog...?_

Suddenly, several signs appeared on the floor, glowing red. A bright light flooded her vision, making her cringe and shut her eyes. When she opened them, her heart nearly stopped. Now, there were several frogs, all different colors, and at least one or two silver and blue looking wolves._ This must be the Noise they were talking about._ As they approached, Mina backed up towards the door, tensing when her back hit the cool metal. She reached for the knob, turned it, and nearly shouted when she found it to be locked. Looking back at the Noise in front of her, Mina felt panic surge in her; she didn't know much self-defence, and had only taken a week of karate. One of the voices spoke up, a different one from the one that told her to run.

_**Remember what that guy said? All you need to do is last one minute, so just run until the time's up!**_

Mina nodded and took off to the right, dodging one of the wolves as it jumped at her. She did her best to keep up with the voice, which was commanding directions to her.

_**Go left! No, your other left! Okay, now go straight, then make a sharp turn right! Watch out for the frog next to your leg-jump to the side! There's a wolf coming up behind you, watch out!**_

Mina did as she was told, racing around the room. The voice suddenly stopped talking, making her trip over one of the frogs she hadn't seen. _Hello? Anyone there? _No response. Mina felt panic bubble in her; once the voices started, they kept going on for an hour or so unless she went to sleep. Noticing that the Noise was getting closer, Mina tried to get up, but tripped again and landed on her butt. She swore silently and looked up at the wolf Noise that was closest to her. The wolf leaped at her; she put her arms up to block her self...

...and felt herself being lifted into something warm.

Mina's head snapped up and she saw Sho's face. Sho tightened his arms around her as he jumped back and summoned Noise to fight for him. Looking down at her, Sho sighed, "Jeez, kid, I walk out for ten minutes and you're already getting into trouble." Mina, red faced and flustered at the sudden contact, struggled in his arms. Sho raised an eyebrow. "You want down?" Mina nodded furiously. He shrugged, "Have it your way." Mina gasped as he suddenly let go of her. Landing on the floor with a loud _THUMP, _she looked up at Sho with a glare. Sho crossed his arms, "You wanted down, so I let you down. Don't complain now; that's so zetta lame."

"Sho," Megumi said, walking into the room with Joshua following behind, "what are you doing here? I thought I dismissed you." Sho shrugged again, "I didn't have much better to do, so I came back to see how the rookie was doing." Glancing back down at Mina, who still sat on the floor, he continued, "I think we all know how _that _went."

Feeling anger rise up in her, Mina sat on the floor, fuming. _I can't believe they just left me in here to fend for my self!_ Looking up, she saw Joshua,jumped up, and glared at him, wishing with everything she had that she could go off on him. "I'm sorry, Mina," Megumi said, "but you didn't last the full minute; you had ten seconds left. That means that you'll have to take part in the Reaper's Game as a Player." Glancing back at Joshua, who stood silently, he added, "It seems you choose the wrong person, Joshua." Mina's eyes widened at this, her anger flaring to a whole new level. _**Oh, hell no.**__ I did __**not**__ just see a boy get murdered, chased down an alley, shot in the chest, kidnapped by a murderer, left in a room with monsters to fend for myself, and get dropped on the hard floor for nothing!_

In a sudden flare of courage and anger, Mina walked over to Megumi in two long strides, pulled her fist back, and punched him square in the nose.

Sho instantly burst in laughter and Joshua's jaw dropped in dead surprise. Megumi's head jerked sideways for a moment before turning back to Mina, who stood in front of him, her hands on her hips and a defiant look on her face, daring him to do anything to her. Sho walked up and slung his arm around her shoulders. Still laughing, he said, "Aw c'mon, Megumi! Anyone who can punch you in the face and still stand like this is a comrade of mine!"

Joshua blinked. Mina was definately the person he was looking for. He could tell she had been listening to one of the voices while she ran; every once and a while she had nodded her head, even though no one appeared to be speaking to her. He had expected that, what he hadn't expected was her sudden hostile behavior. She seemed to have a short temper, which he hadn't seen when she was alive. Looking over at Mina, who's face was even redder than it was before now that Sho had his arm around her, he said, "Well...she did last the majority of the time, Megumi, and she did stand up for herself. I suppose there's some way we can over look those ten seconds." Mina's eyes lit up at this, and she turned to Megumi expectantly.

Megumi thought a momnent and sighed. "Alright, fine." Sho grinned and turned to Mina, "Congrats kid! But, I'll have to warn you, you're in for a world of pain." Mina tilted her head, confused at his statement. _What-_

She felt a hand on her back. Sudden pain ripped though her chest, spreading through her entire body. Mina opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. She wasn't sure whether she had fallen to the ground or someone had layed her there, because pain, like sharp needles being stuck into her skin, was tearing across her every muscle.

Finally, after what seemed to be hours, she lost consciousness. The last thing she felt as she slipped under was something warm wrapping around her.


	3. Skeleton's Wings

**Yeah, I know it's not Tuesday, but I have school and can't upload then. So, here it is. Enjoy. :)**

Chapter 3: Skeleton's Wings

Mina groaned, her head throbbing as she opened her eyes slightly. Her entire body ached incredibly, but her back hurt the most; it felt as if someone had whipped her multiple times. Opening her eyes a bit more, she saw that she was in the room that Joshua had given her. Mina tried to sit up, but slight pain in her back told her to take it slow. Once she was able to fully sit up, Mina felt something on her back. Ignoring the pain in her neck, she slowly turned to look over her shoulder, and her eyes widened.

Two short, black wings were attatched to her back, and were laying limply on the bed behind her. They weren't like anything she had ever seen before; they weren't covered in feathers. Instead, they looked smooth and featherless, and seemed to have a sinister yet beautiful look to them. Still, despite this, the shock of suddenly having these 'wings' finally hit her, and Mina went stumbling back. Unfortunetly, she was close to the edge of the bed, and went backwards over the side. Landing on her #already sore# back, she winced as she rolled over on her side. Something on her hand caught her eye. What looked like a black vine tattoo snaked down her right arm and partially covered her hand. This made her panic even more. _W-where the hell did I get this?! And the tattoo...What's going on here?!_

The door opened, making Mina look up from her place on the floor. Joshua walked in. Blinking when he saw her on the floor, Joshua said. "I'm glad you're awake; most are out for a good two days." Mina sat up, rubbing her back. Turning to Joshua, she pointed to the wings behind her in question. He chuckled, "That's why you're on the floor? Don't worry about it; all Reapers have wings like that. It's what separates you from the Players." Mina nodded and pointed to her right arm.

"That also separates you from the Players."

Mina sighed in relief and stoof to her feet slowly, seeing as her legs were still a bit numb. She looked over at Joshua, who motioned over to the door. "Come on," He said, "You'll need to learn to the basics."

* * *

"...What the hell happened?"

Mina walked behind Joshua as they entered the large training room again. Megumi was there standing infront of a very annoyed looking Konishi, a grinning Sho, and a very large man dressed in a grey camo jacket and jeans. All three Reapers had a fine layer of ash on their clothes. Mina couldn't imagine what they did to make Megumi so mad; the older man looked out raged.

Sho scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Well..ya see...we kinda set the basement on fire." Konishi crossed her arms. "We? I believe it was _you_, Sho, who decieded it would be a good idea to light a lantern."

"Hey! It was Yodai's fault, he knocked it over!"

"I already told you I was sorry."

Megumi sighed and rubbed his temples. "Look...all I wanted was some papers from the basement. But appearently, it seems that you three can't even do a simple task as that!" Mina flinched at his tone. Joshua cleared his throat, making all four turn to him. "What happened?" Megumi shook his head, "It gives me a head ache just thinking about it." He looked up at Mina. "Ah, you're awake." Mina nodded. Sho turned to her, grinning, "Hey, kiddo. You're looking zetta se-"

"Shut up, Sho. You've seen her before."

"Not _all _of her..."

Mina's face turned red. A loud growling sound suddenly echoed through the room, and everyone turned to Mina, who clutched her stomach in embarassment. Joshua sighed. "Sho, will you take Mina to the kitchen and get her something to eat? I'm sure she's hungry. Also, show her the ropes, will you?" Sho sighed, "Why me? Why not Konishi?" Konishi looked at him. "_I _have something I need to do." Sho opened his mouth to say something, but Konishi spun on her heel and followed Megumi out the door. Joshua turned to Sho. "Don't do anything to her, Sho," He said as he turned and walked out, leaving Mina and Sho alone in the room.

"No promises."

Mina looked around, noticing that the man she hadn't reconized before was gone. She looked up at Sho and tugged on his sleeve in question. The teenaged boy turned to her, "What?" She held up three fingers, one for Konishi, Sho, the other man.

"Three?"

Mina nodded, then pointed to Sho.

"Three of me?"

Mina sighed and shook her head. She thought a moment, then raised her hands up in the air to represent the height of the large man. Sho's lips formed an 'o'. "You mean Yodai?" Mina nodded. "Well," Sho said, "I don't know where he went, and frankly, I'm glad." He winked, "He might eat you." Sho laughed as Mina's eyes grew big. She shook her head frantically as they began to walk through the door.

* * *

Mina tried her best to keep her panic down, but the thought stayed in her head.

_Of course he's not going to eat me. But he _is _a very large man..._

Mina swallowed nervously. She knew that Sho had been kidding, but she couldn't stop thinking about it.

Sho slowed as they approached a brown door. "This is it." He said, reaching for the handle and pulling it opened. They were met with silence until-

"WELCOME TO MY KITCHEN."

Mina jumped with a silent yelp and latched onto Sho, her arms wrapping around his waist. Sho chuckled and looked down at her, only to see her face and bust into laughter. Mina pouted and slugged him in the arm, stepping away from him. Her burned. "Calm down, Yodai," Sho said, "You'll give her a heart attack." The large man-Yodai-turned to Mina. "My apologies," He said. Yodai peered at her carefully, make her uncomfortable, "I've never seen you before. Are you a Harrier?" Mina opened her mouth, then closed it before she tried to speak. She looked up at Sho, expecting him to explain. Sho didn't say anything, so she tugged on his sleeve.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, right. Yodai, this is Minny, the new Reaper. Minny, this is Yodai." Sho said, gesturing to Yodai. Mina looked at the older teem in confusion. _Minny? _Sho glanced at her, "Mina's cool name, but Minny is much more zetta awesome." _There he goes again, _Mina thought, _What does 'zetta' mean? He says it alot..._Mina racked her brain to remember if she had ever heard of the word, but came up with nothing.

Mina's stomach growl again, leaving her with a strange empty feeling. She looked around the cream-colored medium sized room. There was a black fridge against the wall acrossed the room from the door. Next to it was a dark blue marble counter top with a silver sink set in and wooden cabinets attached to the wall above it. A small table was placed several feet away from the large stove, which sat next to the door. Mina's eyes stopped at the fridge, her stomach growling again.

Sho walked to the fridge, opened it, and pulled out an apple. He held it out to Mina, who walked up and reached for it...

...only to have it pulled out of her reach.

Mina looked up at Sho, confused. He smirked and held the apple above his head. Mina frowned and jumped up, her fingertips brushing against the apple, but she couldn't grab it. She jumped up again, this time placing one of her hands on Sho's shoulders as she jumped to balance herself. No matter what she did, she couldn't grab that stupid apple. Her stomach growled again, louder. Mina swore at Sho silently, jumping again. Sho tried not to laugh at her attempts. He was about a head taller than her, and it was funny to see her get fusterated.

Yodai walked over and plucked the apple from Sho's grip, seeing as he was much taller than the teen, and handed it to Mina. Mina smiled up at him greatfully before biting into the apple. Sho crossed his arms, "Aww, you ruined my fun!" Mina stuck her tongue out at him.

When Mina finished her apple, she turned to Sho, wondering what to do next. Sho scratched the back of his head. "Well, I guess you learn how to fly."

Mina raised her eyebrows.

"Don't give me that look! You have the wings of a Reaper, remember?"

Mina glanced over her shoulder at the black wings that stayed limp behind her. For some reason, she had a bad feeling about flying.

* * *

Sho and Mina were standing in the Training Room.

"Alright," Sho said, "First, raise your wings; tense your shoulder blades." Mina nodded and tensed. She couldn't tell whether or not her wings moved. "Okay, now flap your wings. Picture it in your head." In her head, she imagined her wings flapping and moving. A light breeze behind her made her look over her shoulder. She smiled when she saw her wings moving back and forth. "Good. Now push off the ground. It's easy." Sho said. Mina felt her mouth dry. _P-push off? Like, into the air? _Fear rose in her throat, but she swallowed it and looked nervously at Sho. He sighed, crossing his ams, "Don't worry; if you fall, I might catch you." Mina's eyes widened in disbeleif. _Might?! _Sho shrugged. "What do you want me to do? Break your fall with my body?" Mina nodded.

"...I'll ignore that."

Mina closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pushed off the ground with her feet. She fought back the fear in her throat, which started to spread to her stomach. _Just keeping flapping, just keep flapping, just flapping..._Finally, after what seemed to be forever, she heard Sho's voice. "Great job, Minny! Keep going!" Against her better judgement, Mina opened her eyes and looked down at him.

Big mistake.

The floor spun below her, making her loose focus. Her wings stopped moving, sending her falling to the ground. Air rushed past her, the fear in her overloading.

"Mina!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Mina saw something black dart under her.

_THUMP!_

Instead of hitting the hard floor, she felt something warm break her fall. Sitting up, she looked around, but didn't see Sho anywhere. Mina felt something push her arm. "Hey, get offa me!" Looking down, she saw that she was sitting on top of Sho, who was sprawled out under her. Sho shoved her away lightly as he sat up. "Geez, I was just joking about breaking your fall. You didn't have to take it literal." Mina looked down, her face going red. "I mean," Sho said, "you dropped like a sack of rocks." He glanced over at her, noticing that her head was bowed. He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Hey," He said. When she didn't awnser, he looked over at her. She was staring at him now, her eyes glued to his arm. Confused, he looked down and saw a small cut on his right arm, blood dripping onto the floor. "How the heck-"

Mina jumped on him, sending the two backwards. If it weren't for Sho holding them up with his left arm, they would've been in a very awkward position. Then again, they were already in an awkward position.

Mina grabbed SHo's arm, inspecting it carefully. After a few moments, she sat back and grabbed the bottom of her shirt, lifting it slightly before ripping off a piece."M-Mina!" Sho exclaimed, but she ignored him, dabbing at the cut with the edge of the cloth. When she was done, Mina wrapped it around his arm and tied it tightly. Sho and Mina stared at each other for a moment, when suddenly the door to the room opened.

"SHO MINAMOTO!"

A white heeled boot came flying, barely missing Mina's head, and smacked Sho smack-dab in the forehead, making him fall backwards. Mina gasped and leaned forward to check on him, but was caught by surprise as arms wrapped around her neck in a hug. Looking up, she saw a girl, maybe a little older than her, with boy short muted pink hair and blue eyes. "How dare you!" She exclaimed at Sho, who was sitting up, rubbing his head, "Taking advantage of a poor girl just because you're an Officer!" Sho glared at her, "What the heck?! You're out of your vector, you little half-life!"

Now Mina was confused.

She was also choking.

Mina struggled to get out of the girl's strong grip. The girl let go of her and looked over Mina from head to toe, "He didn't touch you anywhere did he?" Mina blinked, confused.

"Uzuki, is this really the way to get a promotion?"

A young man, with strange orange hair wearing a black tank top and dark pants, walked past Mina and Uzuki. He bent down to help Sho up. "Sorry, sir. My partner's still learning." The man turned to Uzuki, "Right?" Uzuki blinked before her eyes got wide. She bowed, her face red. "O-oh! I'm terribly sorry, sir! I don't know what happened, I-I just reacted to what I saw." Mina stared at her before looking up at Sho._ He's an Oficer, _She thought,_ so that means...She could get in alot of trouble!_. Sho was glaring at Uzuki, who still had her head bowed. His eyes flickered to Mina, who stared at him worriedly. "I'll have to report this," Sho stated, making Uzuki stare up at him. Mina stumbled to her feet and grabbed Sho's arm, catching his attention. She waved her hands frantically, trying to get her message through. _Please don't tell! She was just trying to protect me!_ Sho stared at her for a moment before sighing. "Alright, alright. I won't tell." Uzuki's eyes grew big again. "Just don't let it happen again!" Sho finished. He glanced at Mina, who gave him a grateful smile, before turning and walking out the door.

Mina sighed in relief. One crisis averted.


	4. Weapon of Choice

**Hey guys! Problems with the internet made this late, so I'm really sorry! Thanks for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 4: Weapon of Choice

* * *

"So, your the new Reaper." The man-who'd introduced himself as Kariya-said to Mina. She nodded, holding out her hand for him to shake. As Kariya shook her hand, Uzuki smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry for knocking you over like that. I didn't see the Reaper mark on your arm." Mina smiled back and patted the older girl on the shoulder, reassuring her. Uzuki sat on the ground, pulling her boot back onto her foot. "What's you're name?" Mina frowned as she tried to think of a way to 'speak' without talking. She made a 'm' with her fingers, pointed to her eye, drew a 'n' in the air, and made an 'a' with her hands.

"Your name's Meyena?" Uzuki guessed. Mina shook her head. "Minea?" Kariya said.

Mina sighed. _This will be harder than I thought. _She thought a bit more, several methods popping into her head, until she had an idea. She bent down and traced the letters of her name slowly, hoping the two in front of her would understand. Uzuki's eyes lit up. "Oh, I know! It's Mena!"

Mina resisted the urge to choke Joshua the next time she saw him for getting her into this situation.

"No," Kariya said, rubbing his chin, "I think it's something else. Is it Meno?" Mina shook her head again.

"Meino?"

"What about Mickey?" Kariya suggested. Uzuki tilted her head, thinking, "No, she doesn't look like a Mickey. Hmm, maybe Mina? Is that it?" Mina smiled and stood up straight, nodding. "Well, Mina, why didn't you just say so?" Kariya asked. Mina pointed to her throat. "You can't talk?" Uzuki said, frowning, "That's terrible." Kariya reach into his pocket and pulled out a sucker. Unwrapping it, he said, "Not as terrible as hitting your superior in the face with a shoe." Looking at Mina, he gestured to the sucker in his hand and added, "By the way, this is bean paste, not candy." Uzuki's eyes widened. "Oh, you're right! I'll never get a promotion at this rate," She yelped, "I'll be a Harrier Reaper forever!"

Mina giggled at the memory of Sho getting hit in the face.

Kariya sighed and patted Uzuki on the head, "You'll be fine." He turned to Mina. "You're new, right? Have you found a weapon?" Mina shook her head. _I hadn't really thought about it. But, I guess I'll need one to fight Players, _She thought saddly.

Uzuki smiled at her, "We can help you find one, if you want." Mina smiled and nodded. _At least I have someone who knows what they're doing._

* * *

As they walked down the hallway, Uzuki told Mina all the things needed to become an Officer.

"Remember, there's no such thing as working too hard. Officers are always looking at your preformance, so put everything you have into your missions!" The older Reaper said. Uzuki looked behind them at Kariya, who walked behind the two. "Unlike someone I know," She added. Kariya just shrugged. "Also," Uzuki added, "make sure to be very respectful to the Officers! Manners can go a long way." Mina nodded furiously, taking notes in her head. She was determined not to mess up.

"Follow all the rules, and take orders without hesitation!"

"...And don't hit Officers in the face with your shoe," Kariya added.

Uzuki sent a death glare over her shoulder. Turning back to Mina, she said, "Anyway, we're here!"

They stood infront of a metal door. Kariya pushed it open, and Mina nearly had a heart attack.

The room was very large, and both the walls and floor were metal. It was slightly cooler in here, making Mina shiver slightly. The whole room had a blue tint to it, making everything look cold. Different weapons, from guns to knives to swords, were sitting on a wall length shelf across the room from the door. The left wall had a dark blue glass over it. Other than that, the room was completely empty.

"This is where Harrier Reapers, like us, go to train," Kariya explained, "There's another training room, but it's for the Officers only." Uzuki nodded, taking Mina's arm and walking over to the weapons. Mina dugged her heels into the floor, struggling out of Uzuki's grip. There was one reason she didn't want to go near that shelf.

Mina was absolutely terriffied of weapons.

Uzuki looked back at her, "What's wrong? You're not scared, are you?"

Mina nodded, not even trying to hide it.

Kariya walked over. "In that case, you'll just have to deal with it. Unless you want to use your fists."

Mina thought about that._ I'll have to fight sooner or later, _She frowned, _I know I won't do much damage with just my fists...Oh well. _After a moment, Mina followed Uzuki to the shelf. Uzuki picked up a gun and turned to Mina, "What about this?" Mina looked at the gun with slight fear in her eyes. Just looking at it made her stomach and chest ache, the gunshot wounds burning. She shook her head quickly.

"What about a knife?" Kariya asked, twirling the dagger in his hand. Mina imagined accidently stabbing herself and almost fainted.

"Hey, Mina," Uzuki said, "Try this." She held out a long black pole with a short, horizontal black pole sticking out at the top, making it look like a religious cross. Mina blinked, thinking. _That doesn't look very dangerous..._She'd rather hit enemies with a stick than hurt herself with a knife or gun. She reached out and took the pole from Uzuki, looking at it carefully. It was surprisingly lightweight. There was a small switch on the side, which confused her. _I wonder what that does, _Mina thought, flipping the switch. Just a second after she flipped the small switch, a long, curved, and incredibly _sharp _silver blade shot out from the side Mina was holding.

Blood splattered onto the floor. Mina felt the handle jerk suddenly, making her drop the weapon. She fell to her knees, tears springing to her eyes as pain blossomed through her. "Mina?!" Uzuki exclaimed, instantly appearing at her side. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize it was a sythe!" Mina did her best to smile through the pain, trying to show that it was okay. Kariya bent down and looked at her stomach. After a moment, he said, "Luckily, it's just a small cut, and not deep. You should be fine, just need a few stitches." Kariya reached into his back pocket and pulled out a first aid kit. Uzuki raised an eyebrow, "You carry that around with you?"

"Just in case you hurt yourself doing something stupid."

Uzuki glared at her partner while he bandaged Mina's cut.

When he was done, Mina stood up and looked over at the sythe, which laid a few feet from them. She hadn't expected something so dangerous from something that looked so harmless. Without thinking, she walked over and picked the weapon up carefully, making sure she held the side that didn't have a blade. She stared at the curved blade for a moment, watching the lights reflect off it. Turning to Uzuki and Kariya, she pointed to it. "Are you sure want to use that?" Uzuki asked. Mina nodded firmly. Kariya stretched his arms over his head, "Well then, now that you have one weapon, here." He gave her a simple handgun. Mina looked down at the gun confused. _But I already have a weapon,_ She thought, turning her attention to Kariya in question. "You should always have a back up weapon with you, just in case the other one is knock away from you in battle," He explained, "Normally, we just use weapons to summon Noise, but it's handy to be able to defend yourself in an emergency." Mina bit her lip. _That makes sense, I guess,_ She lifted up the gun with one hand and the sythe in the other, wondering which she should train with first.

"I think you should try the gun out," Uzuki said, crossing her arms, "Getting used to the gun's recoil can help you control the sythe better when the blade flicks out." She looked around the room and spotted several target signs leaning against the wall. "Try and shoot the center of those targets over there." Mina nodded and set the sythe down on the ground. She fiddled with the gun for a moment. _How on earth do you hold this thing? _She thought fusterated.

Both Uzuki and Kariya watched her, one in amusement, the other in concern.

"I hope she doesn't shoot herself with it," Uzuki said, looking up at Kariya. "She'll be fine," He awnsered, "I'm sure she at least knows how one works." Uzuki looked back at Mina, who was still trying to figure out how to hold the weapon. Her heart nearly stopped when the younger teen gripped the barrel of the gun.

Finally, Mina grabbed the handle and held it correctly. She looked over at Uzuki, smiling brightly. Standing with her feet apart, she held the gun with both hands, aimed at the first target, and pulled the trigger.

* * *

Joshua crossed his arms as he watched Mina through the double-sided mirror. Megumi walked up next to him, hands behind his back. Observing the scene in front of him, Megumi asked, "Joshua are you sure this is the right person? The voices she hears may just be a matter of mental health." Joshua was silent for a moment, thinking. "I know," He said slowly, wording his thought carefully, "that she doesn't seem like the right one. But these voices she hears, the ones she can't escape from, they are just the begining of her abilities. She's progressed so far on her own, without even realizing what she has, that I'm surprised she hasn't developed a strong sense of ESP, though, in some cases, she has, but just a little."

Megumi looked down at the boy in question. "ESP? But how is that even evident?"

Joshua hid a small smile, "Back when we first tessted her, the Noise I set up were placed randomly throughout the room. Yet she was able to dodge most of them with the help of a small voice in the back of her head."

"That was becuase a voice told her where to go-"

"But just how exactly did that voice know where the Noise traps were? Mina didn't know."

Megumi was quiet, finally seeing what the younger boy was thinking. Joshua took this as a sign to continue. "Whether she has ESP or not doesn't matter now, anyway," He continued, "The games are close to starting again, and we'll need her for this round. The Players are still asleep?"

"Yes, all of them."

Joshua nodded, "Good. The games will remain on schedule unless something drastic happens."

Megumi 'hmm'ed in agreement and continued to watch Mina through the glass.

* * *

_THUMP!_

Mina stumbled backward, landing on her butt for the seventh time.

Her arms ached terribly from the recoil of the gun, and her butt hurt even worse from falling. No matter what she did, she couldn't hit the target, not even close. Uzuki took a step forward, "Maybe we should take a break." Kariya nodded, looking at a watch on his wrist. "Yeah, you can try again after we get your cuts stitched up and eat lunch."

Mina sighed in defeat and nodded, standing and walking up to Kariya and handing him gun. She turned and picked up the sythe. Uzuki had retracted the blade, and Mina was careful not to accidently hit the button. Kariya had told her not to move quickly, seeing as the bandages would only temporarily hold the would closed. Her shoulder still ached slightly, but her stomach was feeling a bit better. Mina's legs, however, were still a little shakey from the force of the gun, so she leaned on the sythe as she walked out of the trainign room.

Uzuki lead them down the hallway to the kitchen, explaining to Mina the schedule that the Reapers followed. "We all wake up at different times, depending on what your rank is. Harriers like us wake up at exactly seven in the morning, get dressed, and go to the kitchen to get breakfast. After that, we go to the training room to train for an hour and a half, then we see a Officer to find our missions for the day, which is usually three or four. When we get done with one of those, we eat lunch and finish the rest after. Curfew is at ten and it's lights out at nine thirty. Understand?"

Mina nodded and thought for a moment. _Which Officer do I go to?_ then turned to Kariya and mouthed 'Officer?'. Kariya nodded, "Yeah. Which ever Officer found you when you turned into a Reaper is the one you go to. For you, I guess it's who ever you saw first after you became a Reaper."

Mina tilted her head. _So, I go see Joshua? Okay, I guess._

It was queit for a while after that, the tapping of Mina's sythe as it hit the ground the only noise echoing down the hallway.

Anyway," Uzuki said after a moment, "We should hurry. Hey, maybe you'll get to meet some of the other Harrier Reapers, Mina! There aren't many of us, though; only two others."

Kariya scratched his neck. "Yeah, what were their names, again? Ike and Tow?"

"Ven and Ren." Uzuki said quickly. "They're twins, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

Mina smiled at the word 'twins'. Back when she was alive, she knew this pair of twin girls named Star and Storm. Both of them had worked at a small caffe near her house, and were always friendly to her, even though they knew she heard voices. They'd give her a free wisp of whipped cream every time she bought a coffee. Mina wondered how they reacted to her death. She shook her head. _Your __**NOT **__dead. This is just some kinda joke, remember? But I have to admit, the wings and tattoo really threw me off. Mom's gonna kill me when I get home. _

"We're here, Mina. What do you want for lunch?" Uzuki said, opening up the door to the kitchen and snapping Mina from her thoughts. Mina turned to mouth a question, but was interupted as a loud shout was heard from inside the kitchen and someone hurried out, running into her.

"Hey, watch it-!"

Mina looked down, surprised to see Joshua blinking at her. "Oh, sorry, Mina, I didn't see you there."

Kariya turned to him, "Actually, I'm glad you're here, Joshua. Mina was wondering who she should go to for missions. Do you know?"

Joshua thought a moment, thinking hard. Finally, he looked at Mina and said, "Well, I'm not sure. I found you, Mina, but I'm _really _busy, especailly now that the games are so close to starting again." he suddenly grabbed her hand and began to pull her down the hallway. "I'll help you find someone; I think Konishi is free for a while."

Uzuki blinked at the two as they dissapeared down the hallway. "Mina's going to starve at this rate." She said rubbing the back of her neck. "Hey Uzuki," Kariya said slowly, "you didn't feel, like, weird or anything, did you? When we first met Mina, I mean."

Uzuki turned to him. "No, not really. Why?"

"It's nothing; something seems just a bit...off about her."

* * *

Mina struggled to keep up with Joshua as he dragged her through the doors of the Officer's training room. Inside, Megumi and Konishi stood in the middle, talking. "Hey, Konishi," He called. Konishi, who was looking at some papers on a clipboard, turned. "What is it?"

"Do you think you can get Mina ready for the games?" Joshua asked.

"Of course not," Konishi said, looking at the clipboard, "The Reaper's Game starts in one week; there's no way she'll have enough time to be trained properly."

Joshua glanced at Megumi, "Well, the must be _some _way to have her trained before then. What do you think, Megumi?"

Megumi cleared his throat. "Actually, Konishi, I'll have Sho and a few low leveled Reapers handle the stage design and Yodai and I will organize the missions. Joshua is setting up the Noise traps, so that leaves you free to train Mina."

Konishi blinked. "You're letting _Sho _handle the stage design? I don't think that's a good idea, sir. It would be more strategic if someone with more experience were to prepare the stage."

"In any case, you'll have no choice but to train her; we'll need all of the Reapers we can get for this game. Understood?"

If Konichi was bothered by this, she didn't show it. Instead, she nodded and turned to Mina. "Come on then. Lets get today's lesson over with." Mina hesitated. She didn't realy like Konishi; to be honest, the woman scared her a little. However, she remembered what Uzuki said about following orders from the Officers and did what she was told.

Before they left the room, Mina glanced back at Joshua and Megumi. She saw Joshua smile at her strangely before turning away. This sent chills up her spine, making her shiver as she ran to keep up with Konishi, who was already half way down the hallway. A voice spoke out in her head, an older man's voice, breaking the silence around her and making her flinch.

_What's with that kid? Something doesn't seem right with him. Hang on, I'll go check it out._

Before Mina could respond, the voice fell silent, leaving her dumbfounded.

"We're here." Konishi said, opening the door to the other training room.

Mina followed her to the midlie of the room. Konishi turned to her. "Hit me," The woman said, surprising Mina. When she didn't respond, Konishi added, "The first thing you need to know is how to attack first. If you pull the first attack, the enemy will be stunned long enough for you to pull a combo and do additional damage. Now, hit me."

Mina frowned, but took a breath and gripped her sythe. Racing forward, she raised the sythe and swung it towards Konishi, pulling the trigger at the last minute and making the blade flick out. Suddenly, Konishi grabbed the handle, pushed it away, and flipped Mina onto her back.

Pain shot through her back, and Mina groaned. _This won't be easy._

"You failed," Konishi said, "Do it again."


	5. The Iron Maiden's Sound

_**Short Note: This is a day early because I won't be able to get it out tomarrow. Updates will be roughly around the 22nd or 23rd each month, unless I can't update then. Also, I made a mistake in the last chapter, it should say 'an older man's voice.' but I went and fixed it.**_

_**Enjoy.**_

* * *

Chapter 5: The Iron Maiden's Sound

Mina grunted as she stood up, leaning heavily with her hands on her knees. _Dammit, _She thought, breathing hard, _that last hit knocked the wind out of me. _She looked at Konishi, who stood patiently. _She's faster than I thought; I barely saw her move. _Konishi placed a hand on her hip. "You're not tired, are you? Pathetic; I'm falling asleep over here." Mina gritted her teeth and ran at Konishi again, only to get thrown sideways across the room.

"I don't see why they want you trained," Konishi sighed, "You can't even land a minor hit."

Mina swore silently, but knew it was true; she hadn't been able to get very close to the older Reaper at all. Her arm stung from being thrown, but other than that she wasn't hurt much. Mina tried, but couldn't think of a way to hit Konishi effectively. _I've been going from the front, but maybe..._

Mina winced as she stood up. Her legs protested, but she ignored it. Her eyes flickered to her sythe, which laid several feet from her. She needed to get to it, but feared that Konishi would think she was attacking and throw her across the room again. Something popped in her head and she heard another voice.

_Calm down, Mina. Your mind is completely chaotic. Take a breath and slow down._

_Shut up, _Mina thought, _I don't need your help; you're the reason I'm here._

Without warning, she took off, running around Konishi. Konishi stuck her foot out at the last moment; Mina saw this and jumped. But she jumped too late, her foot catching on Konishi's shoe. Mina went stumbling forward, trying to regain her balance, and barely managed to bend down and pick up her sythe before falling sideways on her hip. She heard the clicking of Konishi's heels across the floor and turned quickly, blocking the Reaper's attack with her sythe. Konishi pushed against the sythe with her arm, forcing Mina to move back slightly.

As Konishi continued to push, Mina winced as her arms started to ache. She quickly thought of her options; duck and dodge, or sit and get crushed. Picking the better of the two, Mina pushed back with all her might. Surprised by the sudden action, Konishi let off a bit, giving Mina a chance to duck and roll.

Moving quickly away, Mina gasped for air, clutching her sythe. She hadn't expected Konishi to come after her like that.

"You can't win a battle by simply being defensive. If you don't attack, your opponent will. And when you do attack, don't do it blindly," Konishi said, "Do it again; and this time, think your attack through."

Mina nodded, breathing heavily, and tensed up.

_I'm trying to help you, _The voice said, _I don't have to do a damn thing._

Mina's head jerked back slightly and she blinked, surprised at the voice's angry tone. She was about to agrue when a strong ache formed in the back of her head, makng her wince. _Now shut your trap and listen to me. _Mina frowned, but listened, ignoring how mean the voice sounded. _Just calm down and focus. You like listening to music, right? Well, try to listen to Konishi. Not her voice, but her sound. Concentrate, and connect with her rhythm._

Mina had no idea what the voice was talking about, but figured she would know it when it happened. First, she took a deep breath. Then, she stared at Konishi silently, waiting to hear something.

_No, no. Don't listen with your ears, listen with your mind. You have a gift, Mina, one that lets you hear the sound of other people's minds, allowing you to match yours with them, bending and twisting it to your own design. That comes later, however. Now, you need to learn to connect. Focus; reach out with your mind. Let it resound and circumnavigate._

Hesitantly, Mina relaxed her body, letting her guard down. She allowed her mind to wander, and felt a strange tug at the back of her mind. She blinked, and suddenly heard a new, different sound. Mina could barely hear it, but knew it sounded elegant and smooth, yet strong and cold. Looking at Konishi, who gave her a strange look, Mina thought, _This must be Konishi's sound. It matches her personality perfectly. _

_Good, _The voice said, _now, connect with it._

Mina gulped. She wasn't so sure about 'connecting' with someone as scary as Konishi. Ignoring her slight fear, she let her mind wander a bit more. A first Mina heard nothing but Konishi's sound growing louder, but pushed her mind further anyway, trying to find a connection.

_**CLICK!**_

She flinched at the sudden noise. Looking over at Konishi, Mina saw that the older woman must've heard it as well, for she was holding the side of her head, as if she had a head ache.

_Now's your chance; hurry and attack while she's distracted!_

Mina tensed and ran at Konishi. As she did, she felt different; faster, lighter on her feet. It lasted only a moment, though, as she swung her sythe directly at Konishi.

Konishi snapped out of her stupor and quickly blocked, grabbing Mina's forearm and pushing her back.

_**CLICK!**_

Mina winced as she landed on her butt. She no longer could hear Konishi's sound. Instead all she heard was Konishi say, "That's enough for today. Be here at six tomorrow morning; we'll begin your actual training." And with that, Konishi was out the door.

Mina's jaw dropped. _Acutual training? If this wasn't training, I'm going to die tomarrow. _She sighed and stood, only to see the room spin and fall again. Nausea suddenly appeared, making her groan and close her eyes. _Be careful, _The voice warned, _You shouldn't move around alot after a connection is broken. Virtigo is a common side effect._

Mina silently cursed and continued to sit until the room stopped spinning. _What other 'side effects' are there, other than motion sickness? _She thought, already dreading the anwser.

_Side effects include; Virtigo, high blood pressure, fever, numbness in the legs, increased heart rate, and, in some people, even death._

_That's depressing, _Mina thought, rolling her eyes. _Depression hurts; Simbalta can help, _The voice sounded like a medicine commercial. She heard the door open behind her.

"Minny? What're you doing on the floor?"

Mina looked behind her and saw Sho standing in the door way. She smiled sheepishly and shrugged, scratching the back of her neck. "Well," Sho continued, walking up to her, "C'mon, let's go eat; I'm zetta starving and Yodai said he'll keep the kitchen open for a while longer." Mina nodded and started to stand, but her legs protested. She felt her self sway to the left, and instictively leaned on her sythe for support. Sho raised an eyebrow. "You okay?" Mina nodded again and smiled. She was regaining the feeling in her legs and, although it stung a bit, it wasn't something she couldn't handle. And besides, she didn't want to look weak in front of an Officer.

"Well, then, let's go!"

* * *

By the time they reached the kitchen, Mina's legs had gained some feeling, though they still stung a bit. Her stomach felt empty and hollow, and she was eager to eat something.

She sat at the table while Sho made two sandwhiches.

As soon as he set a sandwhich infront of her, Mina was devouring it. Sho stared at her, wondering how someone so thin could put so much away so quickly. Seeing Sho's look, she look up at him questioningly. _What? Is there someting on my face?_

_Maybe if you'd stop acting like a grown man and eat like a lady, he'd quit staring at you like your an animal._

Mina shook her head quickly, pushing the voice out of her mind. "Are you having a spazz attack or something?" Sho asked, taking a bite of his sandwhich. Mina thought a moment, not sure if she should tell him about the voices. Joshua had probably already told him, but she didn't want to freak him out if he didn't know. _Hell, I'm already 'dead'. If he stops talking to me, that's just one more person, right? _With her mouth full of food, Mina pointed to her head and made a talking notion with her hand.

"You're hearing someone talk?"

Mina nodded, swallowing her food.

"Yeah, Josh mentioned something about that ealier. So, do you hear a bunch of voices at one time?"

Mina blinked. She hadn't thought he'd take it so easily, although he already knew. It honestly surprised her. Mina shook her head and held up one finger. Normally, it was just one voice that popped up every few hours.

"That'd be so zetta annoying. How'd you keep from going insane? I would've cracked."

Mina was surprised she _hadn't _gone insane. But with a voice in her head every day, she'd just grown used to it. Growing up, being shunned by most of her peers made her actually want to hear a voice or two. It felt nice to talk to someone, even though they were in your head. The voices talked about many different things. Sometimes, a voice would pop into her head, one that always babbled on about random topics. One time, while she was walking to school, it started talking about how ugly the dress of a woman that'd just walked by was. It's description was so horrid that Mina actually turned around to see the woman's dress. Another time, the same voice started a two hour lecture about why it thought she should eat ramen with a spoon instead of chopsticks.

Mina finished her sandwhich with a contented sigh. She grabbed her sythe and stood up, wondering what time it is. Looking over at Sho, she pointed to her wrist.

"That's call skin, Minny. Everyone has it."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she shook her head and pointed to the watch on his wrist.

"Hmm? Oh, lemme check," He glanced at his watch, "...It's a little after three." Mina frowned and tilted her head, thinking. She had no idea what to do until it was time to sleep. _I kinda wanna try that whole 'connection' thing again. I was so much more faster and stronger than before. _Thinking back, she decided against it, _No...that only lasted a moment, and it still almost wiped me out. Maybe I should wait._

She felt something poke her forehead. Confused, she looked up to see Sho holding a fork. "Hey, spacey, you still with me?" Mina blinked, then, for some reason, sneezed. Sho raised an eyebrow and hid a smirk. He reached over and poked her in the head again. She sneezed a second time. Sho was about to poke her again, just to see if she'd sneeze, but was interrupted by Mina, who figured out what he was trying to do. She slapped his hand away and stuck her tounge out at him.

Loud music suddenly started playing, startling Mina. Sho reached into his pocket and pulled out a black phone. Flipping it open, he pressed a button and remained silent, his eyes flickering across the screen. Finally, he sighed and closed the phone, shoving it back into his back pocket. Looking at Mina, he said, "Megumi sent me a text message saying he wants to see me in the meeting room. Wanna come?" Mina nodded. _It's not like I have anything else to do._

* * *

Mina stilll didn't know where everything was, so she just let Sho lead the way. The walk down the hall was silent for the most part; the only thing Mina could hear was a strange humming sound that got louder and louder the closer they got.

Further down the hallway, Sho said, "You'll have to wait outside until I come back out; only Officers are allowed to go into the meetng room, unless the boss calls you in specifically." Mina nodded, wondering what she would do while she waited.

Surprisingly, the meeting room wasn't that far from the kitchen. The blue glass door had a small rectangle plaque hanging from it, saying, 'Briefing Room; Autherized Personel Only'. Mina guessed it was a fancier way of saying 'Just Officers'. As Sho opened the door and walked in, she caught a glimpse of a large, wall-length screen, blue light illuminating from it and dimmly lighting the dark room. _That must be where the humming is comming from._ Mina also saw Konishi, Yodai, and Joshua in there. _Must be an important meeting, _She thought, _I wonder what it's about?_

"Excuse me."

Mina looked behind her, saw Megumi standing patiently and quickly moved out of the way. As she did, Megumi grabbed her left wrist tightly and cornered her, pinning her to the wall. His voice was low and sharp, his expression unreadable, "Harrier Reapers are training right now. Your first day, and you've already been caught easedropping?" Mina tensed and struggled to free her hand, but Megumi's grip was too strong. Mina's reflexes went into autopilot. They all told her to do the same two things she did whenever she was harrassed on the streets. _Grab the closest thing to your right. Show absolutely no emotion; if you look threatening enough, they'll back off. If not, show no mercy. _Something told her not to do it, that this was an important person and to just nodded and back away, but Mina ignored it. To her, this was just another person, just another bully that was trying to harrass her.

She grasped her sythe in her right hand, placing the end on Megumi's shoulder, near his throat as a signal to back off. Her fingers flexed, just in case she needed to release the blade. Mina looked up at him, glaring blankly, sending the same message. Megumi stared back, uneffected by her boldness. Someone pushed him lightly away.

"Back off, Megumi. She's with me." Sho said, his hand on Megumi's arm. Mina let out the breath she'd been holding in, relieved that Sho had stepped in before her senses did. She'd been in street fights before, when she first started getting tired of people trying to use force to get her to talk, and learned that in a fight, anything your holding becomes a weapon, and there's no rules. Breaking bones, scratching, stabbing; all were fair when there's a chance you could end up in an alley half dead. This had been no different.

Megumi released Mina's wrist, stepping back. "With you or not, she doesn't need to be standing out here by herself."

"What's she gonna do?" Sho asked, "Listen in on our plans to open the ramen shop for the Games? Are you scared she might go and get some free noodles?"

"What we discuss is none of her buisness." Megumi said, walking into the meeting room.

Sho sighed and scratched the back of his head. He turned to Mina, who was facing the wall, and saw her lightly hitting her head against it. "Hey, it's alright, Minny. What you did was in self defense." He said. Mina shook her head. _I can't believe I almost decapitated my boss. _She thought glumly, _Uzuki was worried about hitting an Officer. At least she didn't try to kill one. _Sho grabbed her shoulder and turned her around to keep her from hitting the wall. Mina, however, was still tense, and she had to restrain from pulling away. Something dripped down her face, confusing her. Sho frowned, "Now look what you've done, Minny! Geez, can't go two seconds without getting hurt, can you?" He reached over and wiped the little bit of blood from her forehead. "Listen, we don't want Megumi to have a cow, so just go train in the lower training room, okay? It's right down the hall, to the right."

Mina nodded, her face red, and quickly walked down the hall.

* * *

When she was gone, Sho's face darkened. _Megumi's never cared if one of the lower Reapers hears. We don't talk about anything specail anyway. So why did he grab Mina? _He looked back at the door to the Breifing room. It was slightly ajar, the light from the information board coming into the hallway.

Sho opened the door and walked in, acting like nothing happened. He walked over and sat at the long table, next to Yodai and across from Konishi. Megumi was standing at the front of the room, going on about the stage designs for the Games. Sho watched his movements carefully, thinking. Megumi was tense and on guard, which was strange considering he was always relaxed, unless you made him mad, and even that took more than a bit of effort. Like setting the basement on fire, for example.

It was at that moment that Sho realized what was up with Megumi. _He's nervous. But why? Because I stepped in? _Sho thought, _No, Megumi isn't **that **scared of me. Is because Mina tried to fight back? She did look a little cold blooded, staring at him like that. _He looked over at Joshua, who sat near the door; he'd probably heard everything. Right now he was watching Megumi carefully as well. Sho narrowed his eyes at the younger boy's smirk. Joshua knew something, and so did Megumi.

_There's something that little brat is hiding from us. And whatever it is, he doesn't want Mina finding out._

* * *

Mina groaned as she stopped in the middle of the hallway. She grasped the sides of her head.

_Aw hell! Did he say to the right or to the left?! _She thought in fustration. The doors all looked exactly a like, and Mina could remember which direction Sho had told her to go. She'd been too distracted by how close he'd been to her that she hadn't been paying attention. _Damn you, Sho! Looking so distracting! _Mina quickly shook her head as her face grew red again. _No no no no no! Do **not **think of him like that! _She groaned again and went left. _I think I'm going the right way..._

_Maybe if you hadn't been spacing out before, you'd know._

Mina pouted, crossing her arms. _Oh, be quiet. You wouldn't understand._

_No, I do. When an attractive guy gets that close to a girl, it's obvious that her mind's going to wander. I don't even want to know what direction your thoughts went._

Red stained her face, and she sent the voice a mental image of her middle finger. _They didn't wander anywhere, you pervert!_

_So, you **do **think he's attractive. How interesting._

Mina nearly choked at that statement. _I-I-I don't know what your t-talking about-Ack!_

Her thought was interupted as she suddenly tripped over something, sending her flying towards the ground. She hit something that had a sharp ledge and rolled off of it, hitting another sharp edge. This continued on for a good ten minutes until she finally landed on solid ground. Mina laid there for a moment, dazed and confused. She had no idea what had just transpired, and groaned silently as she sat up, rubbing her back where'd she hit the ledges. Looking around, she saw that it was pitch black, but figured she was in some kind of room. Mina looked back to where she had fell, and saw a dim light, showing a flight of stairs. _I fell down stairs?! _Mina quickly checked herself for any serious injuries, and, luckily, saw none. _Okay...I'm not hurt...but, where am I?_

A certain smell hit her nose and she frowned. _Smells like something's...burnt?_

Mina swung her hand across the ground infront of her, serching for something that'd give her a clue to where she was. Her hand brushed over something sharp, and she quickly pulled back so it wouldn't cut her. Cautiously, she reached for the object, and picked up something broken and metal. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was a lantern. _Where would a lantern be? _Sho's words from earlier rang in her ears.

_"Well ya see...We kinda set the basement on fire."_

_So...I'm in the basement? _Mina thought. The silence of the basement made her realize she couldn't hear the voice. This mildly concerned her, though she was more worried about getting out of there. She stood shakily, gripping her sythe (she hadn't let go it when she fell) and turning to the stairs. Something behind her rustled, making the hairs on her neck stand. She turned sharply, staring into the darkness behind her. Mina didn't see anything, but heard more rustling and quickly backed up. Not wanting to see what was in there with her, she turned and shot up the stairs as fast as she could, taking them two at a time.

Near the top of the stairs, without thinking, Mina looked back to see if anything was following her, and wasn't watching what was infront of her. She suddenly ran into something, sending the two crashing to the floor. Mina sat up rubbing her head. _I'm just crashing into everything today, aren't I? _She thought. A hand was extended to her.

"Are you alright?"

Mina looked up and saw a boy a few years older than her. She smiled greatfully at him and took his hand, letting him help her to her feet. She tried to look at his face but the bottom half was covered with a red bandana, and his eyes where hidden in the shadows of his black hood. The boy tilted his head, "I've never seen you before. Are you a Harrier?"

Mina nodded silently.

He held out his hand to shake, "I'm BJ, one of the Support Reapers." As she shook his hand, BJ asked turned to the stairs, "What're you doing in the basement? There was a strange fire that burned the electrical wiring, so it's not safe to go down there without a light." Mina scratched the back of her head sheepishly and shrugged. BJ suddenly looked at her. "Hey, your name is Mina, right?"

She looked at him confused, nodding. _How did he...?_

"Uzuki and Kariya are looking for you. Kariya asked me to look for someone 'blonde who's really clumsy and can't speak'. That's you, right?"

Mina's eye twitched. _Thanks Kariya..._

BJ folded his arms behind his head turning around. "Anyway, let's go. It's almost dinner time." Mina blinked and followed him, her thougthts reeling. _Dinner? How long has it been since I left Sho and wandered off? And from the way BJ said 'strange fire' it seems like no one knows that Sho, Konishi, and Yodai were the ones responsible for that. _Mina giggled silently, _I guess they don't want everyone else to know that they're not as uptight as people think._

Looking up at BJ, she couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't showing his face. BJ glanced down at her and said, "You're short." Mina pouted and crossed her arms. _I'm not **that **short. _A part of her said she was, considering she was only tall enough to reach his shoulders.

"Say..." BJ said, slowly, "...You, uh, you're friends with Uzuki, right?"

Mina nodded. _I guess we are..._

"Could you, um..."

They turned the corner and saw Uzuki jogging towards them. "...N-nevermind," BJ suddenly, stuffing his hands in his pockets as Uzuki approached. Mina raised one eyebrow. _What was that all about? _"There you are, Mina!" Uzuki said, running up to them. Kariya was nowhere to be seen. Uzuki looked at BJ, "Thanks for finding her, um...Jack?" BJ just nodded silently. "I-It's BJ..." Uzuki nodded, having recalled the correct name. "Right! Well, thanks anyway." Mina watched as BJ walked by them. "No problem...I-I'll see you around.." He said quietly before he was gone.

Uzuki placed her hands on her hips and turned to Mina. "I've been looking _everywhere _for you, Mina! Where on earth where you?" Mina sighed and shook her head, not even bothering to try and explain. Uzuki rolled her eyes. "Well," She explained, "we'd better hurry up. Kariya's in the kitchen saving us a seat for dinner, and he won't wait very long." Mina smiled and walked along side Uzuki as they headed for the kitchen.

Once they reached the door, Uzuki turned to her, "The other two Harriers are in here with Kariya, and they can't wait to meet you!" Mina smiled at her and opened to the door.


End file.
